Cross-class derivation is a very active process in Kah in order to form new words. Most word roots in Kah occur in multiple word classes. I divided the types of derivation by their target:
The bulk of cross-class derivation results in a verb. Most of those derivations constitute of a derivation from a verb to a verb even. The following verbs act like prefixes to derive verbs:
jam- to do, derives a basic transitive verb from a stative verb
tom- to become, derives an intransitive active verb
we- to be stative, in a state, derives an transitive stative verb
mun- to cause, derives a transitive verb from an active verb
Source | Verb |
oyo - to ready, done biso - urine sin - to be small api - fire yun - to look chu - to leave de - to come jebo - to understand | jamoyo - to complete, finish jambiso - to urinate tonsin - to shrink, get small tompi - to combust, ignite weyun - to see wechu - to originate munde - to summon munjebo - to explain |
Then there is a prefix o- which derives a stative verb, usually involving a resultative aspect:
Source | Stative verbs |
minza - to steal momi - to cure kai - to close | ominza - (to be) stolen omomi - (to be) cured okai - (to be) closed |
When a noun is created from another word, one of the the following prefixes is used:
u- noun expressing an animate object
a- noun expressing an inanimate object
i- noun expressing a state
Source | Noun |
shika - to instruct Bangal - Bengali fiti - to win toka - to tell ye - that, those vuka - to insult namil - free lura - loyal | ushika - instructor Ubangal - Bengali person ufiti - winner atoka - story aye - that thing, those things avuka - insult inamil - freedom ilura - loyalty |
Then there are nouns which are derived by adding an prefix u- or a- to a resultative verb starting with o-, producing (u- + o-) wo- and (a- + o-) au-.
wo- noun expressing an animate object being the result from an action
au- noun expressing an inanimate object being a result from an action
Source | Noun |
ofono - accused okwara - assembled oko - written okwara - assembled | wofono - the accused wokwara - assembly auko - text aukwara - collection |
There is a very limited set of conjuntions in Kah. Some of these are derived from other roots by means of the prefix e-:
Source | Conjunction |
ano - direction chu - to leave, from ata - time iwe - state, condition | eno - in order that echu - so eta - when ewe - still, even then |